You care about eating healthily, but with so many food trends and diets out there, what exactly is the best way to do so? Whether you’re looking for a way to fuel your weight loss, workouts, dietary needs and more, we’ve rounded up the most popular diet options for every purpose. Read on to learn more and pick what’s right for you!

First, let’s delve into what we mean by ‘diet’. The definition of diet is simply the kinds of food that you habitually eat. We’ve narrowed down many of the most popular diets into two main categories: Pop Diets and Specialty Diets.

Pop Diets

You’ve probably heard a little something about these Pop Diets before, as they’ve all had their 15 minutes of fame (or more!). They’re usually committed to out of a personal desire to change one’s eating habits and reach specific health goals.

Paleo: The Paleo diet is a nutritional approach for aiding you in maintaining a lean, strong, and energetic body. Foods you’ll want to eat are meat, seafood, nuts, and non-starchy vegetables and fruits. Food and beverages you’ll want to avoid are carbs, dairy, refined sugar, salt, alcohol, and coffee. Our High Protein Banana smoothie or the Vegan-Nutty Super Grain smoothie are a few options for this way of eating.

Atkins: The idea behind this diet is to limit carbs so the body burns fat. This diet is focused on weight loss. Meats, poultry, seafood, eggs, cheese, and select vegetables are a go. Margarine, potatoes, lunch/organ meats, and sugar are a no go. For a smoothie fix on the Atkins, remember to ask your blendmaster to ‘make it skinny’. They will then leave out the natural sugar we use, called turbinado, for less carb consumption!

Mediterranean: The Mediterranean diet is a heart-healthy eating plan that incorporates the basics of healthy eating. Eating fish, plant-based oils, and fruit and vegetables is part of this diet, as well as avoiding high-fat dairy, refined breads and pasta, and limited red meats. Our Greek yogurt smoothies are made with nonfat Greek yogurt and nutritious fruits, so give one of those a sip on the Mediterranean Diet.

Meanwhile Specialty Diets are often derived from a dietary or health need. These can include: Clean Eating, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian & Vegan, and Dairy-Free.

Clean Eating: This diet puts an emphasis on eating whole foods, or unprocessed foods in their natural state. Clean eating means consuming whole fruits, vegetables and grains, and low fat dairy products. Processed foods and refined sugar should be avoided at all costs. The Carrot Kale Dream smoothie is a Veggie Blend loaded with fruit and vegetables for your new lifestyle.

Gluten-Free: The Gluten-Free diet is one that excludes the protein, gluten. If you’re on a gluten-free diet, you’ll want to eat ancient grains (they’re gluten-free!), beans, seeds, and nuts in their natural state. Fresh eggs, meat, fruit and vegetables, and most dairy products are also good choices. Stand clear of refined bread and pastas, in addition to salad dressing and sauces as many include flour. Currently or considering going gluten-free? All Smoothie King smoothies are 100% gluten-free. Enjoy!

Vegetarian & Vegan: While there are different types of vegetarians, generally speaking a vegetarian is someone who doesn’t eat meat. Vegans also don’t eat meat and avoid anything of animal origin (dairy, eggs, honey, etc.). Tofu, ancient grains, nuts, and leafy greens like kale are all acceptable for these diets and lifestyles. Watch out for sweets made with gelatin, an animal byproduct. Purify your body and your diet with our Vegan smoothie blends made with plant-based Sunwarrior protein, and see all vegan smoothie options here.

Dairy-Free: This Specialty Diet’s name says it all. On a Dairy-Free Diet, one cannot eat foods such as milk, butter, and cheese. The reasons for choosing to go dairy-free can vary from lactose intolerance, an allergy to the dairy protein – casein, skin or digestive issues, and more. Be careful with soups and salad dressing, which can contain dairy. Enhance your day instead with a smoothie you can drink worry-free – like our Vegan-Mango Kale smoothie or add Almond Milk to your favorite smoothie for a creamy extra!

Whew! We hope you’ve learned a few new things about some of today’s most popular diets. We’d love to know: which of these diets have you tried? If none, are you interested to try any? Tweet your answers to @smoothieking!